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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fine — all right
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com